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ROSCOE RILEY RULES, 1: Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs

Summary: Roscoe Riley has a lot to say, and since he's sitting in Time-Out, he has plenty of time to say it! So here's his story. His teacher needed more glue sticks, and Roscoe decided that since all kinds of things get broken in school, maybe he should take Mom's Super-Mega-Gonzo glue, too. Sure enough, as everyone is getting ready for the big class performance, that Super-Mega-Gonzo glue came in handy. Roscoe wanted to make sure his class had a perfect recital and help Ms. Diz (his teacher) keep her job. So just how good IS that glue? This is the book that launches the adventure series of Roscoe Riley, a first-grader whose life is full of humor and mischief.

Young Reader Reaction: Our daughter was very attentive as we read, and several times asked us to use our "best reading finger" so she could follow along more closely. A couple of times we were able to engage her in partner reading, but not for long, as there were "too many" words for her.

Adult Reader Reaction: This is a great book ... and we can't wait to read the next title. The author has captured the personality, style, and view of life of your typical first-grade child. Roscoe's dialogue and logic suggest she is a wizened teacher or mom. You'll laugh all the way through.

Pros: Early readers will love this story of mischief and mayhem; parents will love the humor (and be happy there are consequences); and everyone will laugh nearly continuously through this book.

Cons: None.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow, at least. This is a book that you'll want to read together. It is a sure-fire read-aloud, so you can read it to the kids as they are learning to read and then they can read it themselves later.

Educational Themes: Whether at home or in a classroom, kids will enjoy empathizing with Roscoe and pointing out his mistakes. The author effectively uses humor to draw out lessons that kids, parents, and/or teachers can talk about.

Notes: The publisher donated a copy of this book knowing that we would consider it for review and provide an independent, unbiased profile. This book will be given to a nonprofit to help readers in need.

Literary Categories: Fiction - adventure, humor, series

Date(s) Reviewed: August 2008, October 2014

Other Reviews: No Critics' Reviews found. See reader feedback at amazon.com.